Systems and methods for facilitating placement of telecommunications test calls

ABSTRACT

A method for placing a test call in a telecommunications network. The method includes retrieving an indication of a translation change for a telecommunications switch from storage and placing a test call to test whether the translation change was successful.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No.10/377,003 entitled “Systems and Methods for Facilitating Placement ofTelecommunications Test Calls” filed Feb. 28, 2003, which isincorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND

The present invention is directed generally and in various embodimentsto systems and methods for facilitating placement of telecommunicationstest calls.

When telecommunications products or services are added or changed for acustomer of a telecommunications service provider, changes must beprogrammed into the relevant telecommunications switch that serves thecustomer. Following such programming changes, verification must be madeas to whether the change was properly made and whether the change isdisruptive to the telecommunications network. Accordingly, extensivemechanized testing is often undertaken in which various test calls areplaced to test the change. Because mechanized testing is may beexpensive and time-consuming, a technician may place a manual test callprior to the invocation of mechanized testing. If the test call isunsuccessful, the problem may be remedied before mechanized testing isinvoked.

SUMMARY

In one embodiment, the present invention is directed to a method forplacing a test call in a telecommunications network. The method includesretrieving an indication of a translation change for atelecommunications switch from storage and placing a test call to testwhether the translation change was successful.

In one embodiment, the present invention is directed to a system. Thesystem includes a database having stored therein information relating totranslation changes in a telecommunications network and a computer incommunication with the database and a telecommunications switch locatedin the telecommunications network, wherein the computer is configured toretrieve an indication of a translation change for thetelecommunications switch from the database and to place a test call totest whether the translation change was successful.

In one embodiment, the present invention is directed to a computerreadable medium having stored thereon instructions which, when executedby a processor, cause the processor to retrieve an indication of atranslation change for a telecommunications switch from storage andplace a test call to test whether the translation change was successful.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Further advantages of the present invention may be better understood byreferring to the following description taken in conjunction with theaccompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a test call system according to oneembodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a process flow through the test callsystem of FIG. 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention.

DESCRIPTION

It is to be understood that the figures and descriptions of the presentinvention have been simplified to illustrate elements that are relevantfor a clear understanding of the present invention, while eliminating,for purposes of clarity, other elements. Those of ordinary skill in theart will recognize, however, that these and other elements may bedesirable. However, because such elements are well known in the art, andbecause they do not facilitate a better understanding of the presentinvention, a discussion of such elements is not provided herein.

As used herein, the terms “translations”, “translations updates”, or“translations changes” means the addition of, for example, a service,feature, or the like to a telecommunications switch by, for example,programming the service, feature, or the like into the switch.

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a test call system 10 according to oneembodiment of the present invention. The system 10 may be used with anytelecommunications network, such as the public switched telephonenetwork (PSTN) 12 or an advanced intelligent network (AIN) (not shown),in which translations to telecommunications switches must be changed.

A terminal 14 is in communication with a translations activity database16. The terminal 14 may be, for example, a personal computer or anyother type of computing device that is capable of performingcomputational and communication activities. The terminal 14 may include,for example, a modem (not shown) that can be used to communicate (i.e.place calls) with a telecommunications switch 18. The translationsactivity database 16 stores recent switch translations changes orupdates relating to the switch 18. The database 16 may be any type ofstorage that is suitable for storing such data and may be configured asa part of the terminal 14 (e.g. an internal disk drive) or may belocated separately from the terminal 14.

In operation and in general terms according to one embodiment of thepresent invention, the terminal 14 may place a call (e.g. a test call)following a translation change, using, for example, a modem. Thetranslation change may have been made using, for example, the LucentMechanized Translations System (MTS). The terminal may log the resultsof the call so that a user may determine whether the call wassuccessful. Such a procedure may be performed, for example, prior totesting using, for example, a mechanized AMA testing and validation(MATV) service.

FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a process flow through the test callsystem 10 of FIG. 1 according to one embodiment of the presentinvention. At step 30, a translation change or changes is made using,for example, an MTS system. At step 32, the change or changes is sent tothe switch 18. At step 34, the terminal 14 logs the translation changeor changes into the database 16. At step 36, the terminal retrieves atranslation change from the database 16. The retrieval may be at aperiodic time such as, for example, at the beginning or end of a daywhen all translation changes for a prior period (e.g. the prior day) areretrieved.

At step 38, the terminal 14 places a test call, via the switch 18 by,for example, dialing a telephone number using, for example, a modem inthe terminal 14. The test call may be used, for example, to determine ifthe translation change caused a problem. The test call may also be usedprior to testing because mechanized testing, such as MATV testing, maybe relatively expensive. At step 39, the results of the test call arelogged in, for example, the database 16 or other suitable storage devicein communication with or located within the terminal 14.

At step 40, the terminal 14 determines whether the call was successful.The determination at step 40 could be made by, for example, determiningwhether answer supervision was returned following placement of the call.If the call was successful, at step 42 mechanized testing, such as MATVtesting, may be performed. The terminal 14 may create a request for MATVtesting and MATV may then make a test call for every class of service inan office to ensure proper billing for the new translation. If the callwas unsuccessful, at step 44 the reason for the call being unsuccessfulis logged in, for example, the database 16 or other suitable storagedevice in communication with or located within the terminal 14 and atechnician is alerted via, for example, the production of a work orderor ticket, an electronic mail message, a wireless paging message, or anautomated telephone call. The technician may then remedy the problem by,for example, undoing the translation change.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the methods and modulesdescribed herein are embodied in, for example, computer software codethat is coded in any suitable programming language such as, for example,visual basic, C, C++, or microcode. Such computer software code may beembodied in a computer readable medium or media such as, for example, amagnetic storage medium such as a floppy disk or an optical storagemedium such as a CD-ROM.

While several embodiments of the invention have been described, itshould be apparent, however, that various modifications, alterations andadaptations to those embodiments may occur to persons skilled in the artwith the attainment of some or all of the advantages of the presentinvention. It is therefore intended to cover all such modifications,alterations and adaptations without departing from the scope and spiritof the present invention as defined by the appended claims.

1.-20. (canceled)
 21. Method for placing a test call in atelecommunications network the method comprising: periodicallyretrieving translation changes for a previous time period, wherein thetranslation changes include an indication of a translation change for atelecommunications switch from storage, the indication of thetranslation change having been stored in the storage after thetransition change was made to the telecommunications switch; andreporting a reason for an unsuccessful call when a test call isdetermined to be unsuccessful.
 22. The method of claim 21, furthercomprising logging and indication of the translation change.
 23. Themethod of claim 21, wherein periodically retrieving the indication oftransaction changes for the telecommunications switch from storageincludes retrieving a first indication of a first translation change forthe telecommunications switch from a database.
 24. The method of claim21, further comprising: placing a test call to test the translationchange; and logging a result of the test call.
 25. The method of claim24, wherein logging the result of the test call further comprises:logging a reason for an unsuccessful test call; and remedying the reasonfor the unsuccessful test call by at least undoing the translationchange.
 26. The method of claim 24, further comprising determiningwhether the test call is unsuccessful.
 27. The method of claim 26,further comprising alerting a technician when the test call isdetermined to be unsuccessful.
 28. The method of claim 27, whereinalerting a technician includes alerting a technician using at least oneof the following: an electronic mail message, a wireless pager message,a telephone call, and a work order.
 29. The method of claim 24, whereinplacing the test call includes placing the test call with a modem thatis in communication with the telecommunications switch.
 30. The methodof claim 21 further comprising performing mechanized testing.
 31. Asystem comprising: means for storing information related to translationchanges in a telecommunications network; means for periodicallyretrieving all translation changes from a prior time period, wherein thetranslation changes include an indication of a translation change for atelecommunications switch from storage, the indication of thetranslation change having been stored after the transition change wasmade to the telecommunications switch; means for reporting a reason atest call is unsuccessful; and means for testing and validating asuccessful test call.
 32. The system of claim 31, wherein the means forstoring information related to translation changes in thetelecommunications network comprises a database.
 33. The system of claim31, wherein the telecommunications network is one of an advancedintelligent network and a public switched telephone network.
 34. Thesystem of claim 31, further comprising means for logging a result of thetest call.
 35. The system of claim 31, means for alerting a technicianwhen the test call is determined to be unsuccessful.
 36. Acomputer-readable medium that stores a set of instructions which whenexecuted by a processor performs a method for placing a test call in atelecommunications network, the method executed by the set ofinstructions comprising: periodically retrieving translation changes fora previous time period wherein the translation changes include anindication of a translation change for a telecommunications switch fromstorage, the indication of the translation change having been stored inthe storage after the transition change was made to thetelecommunications switch; and logging a result of a test call; logginga reason why the test call is unsuccessful; alerting a technician of thelogged reason the test call is unsuccessful; and reporting the reasonfor the unsuccessful.
 37. The computer readable medium of claim 36having further instructions which, when executed by the processor, causethe processor to log the indication of the translation change.
 38. Thecomputer readable medium of claim 36 having further instructions which,when executed by the processor, cause the processor to invoke a testingprocess.
 39. The computer readable medium of claim 36 having furtherinstructions which when executed by the processor, cause the processorto transmit an alert to a technician using at least one of thefollowing: an electronic mail message, a wireless pager message, atelephone call, and a work order.
 40. The computer readable medium ofclaim 36 having further instructions which, when executed by theprocessor, cause the processor to initiate validation process.